The Canteen
by VuDu DawL
Summary: A motley crew of beings, meet the extended family of heroes that make up the Canteen Warriors.


The door is secluded, hidden off a dark alley, deep in the warehouse district of Brickstown. This is by design. This place was never intended to exist as some kind of nightlife Mecca for the masses. It is cozy, and intimate. Those who come here are not nameless faces in a sea of bodies. They are all friends, perhaps some even lovers, and all compatriots.

Welcome to the Canteen. They call me Lamb. I am the co-owner, bar wench, bouncer, cook, and mother, here. I will serve you the finest libations, and listen patiently, with genuine care and interest, as you unwind, and unload your problems.

Many of my regulars are more than just customers; they are family. As such, I do whatever I can for them. They come to this place because others do not understand them. It doesn't matter here. Once inside these walls, all are equals. No matter how different they may seem at first glance.

We draw an unusual crowd here. Most of them are not quite what everyone would consider 'normal'. Some would call them freaks. Regardless of their appearance, or unusual tendencies, they all have hearts of gold. I call them Heroes.

Problems are always resolved when they are carried across many shoulders. The fine folks that come here are a tight bunch. Sure, they have their little squabbles amongst themselves. But let an outsider try to pick a fight, and they become a cohesive unit, dealing with opponents quickly and efficiently.

This old building is the perfect place for our little establishment. Built prior to WWII, it was a spacious and sturdy old stone block building. It took a lot of sweat and patience, but we converted the ground floor into a welcome spot for respite and refreshment, and the upper floors into our living quarters and storage space. The real gem lies hidden, however.

The majority of this building lies beneath the brutal concrete and pavement of this fair city. This is the place they can call "home"…

I am not one of them, of course. I am merely a humble servant, and hostess. But to those who call themselves the Canteen Warriors, I am a trusted friend. We have given them carte blanche in furnishing the subterranean floor to suit their needs. This is where they come to lick their wounds, relax, and rest after a rough day of fighting to protect the innocent, and saving the world, as they know it.

My husband, who goes by the name Mutton, is a semi-retired member of their ranks. He furnished this place, set up an information storage system, and a communications system to better coordinate their battles against evildoers. And early on, he assembled a fine group of friends, who together can tackle the worst that any villains can throw at them.

Sit back, sip your drink, and allow me to tell you of their heroic deeds…

My husband always had an eye for quality. He chooses his gadgets carefully, weighing price, against quality. He is the same way with his weapons. A lover of high-powered, long-range firepower, he equipped himself with the best he could get. He then hit the mean streets to make some small difference in the battle between those who would do good, and those who would do evil.

Hiroyuki Sato was one of our first friends. He took many fledgling heroes under his care, protecting, teaching and influencing them in many ways. Though he is much for idle chatter, I have managed to learn from him that he came from Hokaido, Japan, to Paragon City. His powers are inherent, being the grandson of Dark Arts Grandmaster, Okama Tonda, a former Tsoo Midnight, and father of Kiyoko Sato. The Dark Arts powers Hiroyuki possesses exposed themselves fully during the Rikti invasion. He has honed and perfected them in his fight for justice, ever since.

They later met up with a tall, stunning redhead. She is as wild as the day is long, but has a heart of pure gold. She has magical abilities that enable her to use the forces of stone to protect herself, while drawing the attack upon her and away from those around her. She calls herself Slippery Ruby, but we all call her just Ruby. Together, they recruited other friends, bringing them into their tight knit group. Some were friends they'd known for years, some were friendships that were forged in the heat of the day's battle.

VuDu DawL, an odd half-breed born of the union of a demonic being and a human mother, joined the motley group. She is a bit of a wild child, with a wicked sense of humor, and the gift of double entendre. She is primarily an empath, able to heal and strengthen her allies. A diminutive red head with a caring spirit, she always tries to lend a hand wherever she can.

While fighting a hopeless battle with the Banished Pantheon, her prayer for help was answered with the brave scrapper Keres. Formerly a scientist, he developed his unusual abilities as the result of an experiment gone awry. A gift from the DNA of poison spine beetles, he has the ability to grow awesome spines from his body, which are formidable toxic weapons. An added benefit was an unusual ability to regenerate his health at an amazing rate. He and DawL became fast friends, perhaps even more, it is rumored. They mostly fight as a duo, and they have for quite some time.

Then there is Xringhitter, a scrapper who is well versed in the ancient Martial Arts, and reflexes beyond that of a normal man. He is a faithful friend, who loves helping the team bust even the strongest Archvillains. He is a whiskey man, who loves a good drink and a good laugh when the fight is done.

There are many more who spend their time here, each with their own story to tell… But relax, drink up, and perhaps later, I will tell you more…


End file.
